Given the cooler and wetter weather this week, fuels specialists are planning to burn several hand piles at Soda Creek Station and Stonyford Station on Tuesday, May 2.

Forest staff are coordinated with local authorities for smoke monitoring. Pending favorable weather conditions, crews will begin ignitions in the morning and will be mopping up and patrolling the prescribed burn unit for several days after.

Some smoke may be visible near the stations, and the public should avoid areas where crews will be working.

May 1, 2023 - The Eldorado National Forest (ENF) Georgetown Ranger District will be conducting a prescribed pile burn today from 9:00am to 5:00pm as weather and environmental conditions allow. There is approximately 16 acres planned off Balderston Road between Wentworth Springs Road and Mace Mill Road. Residents and visitors will see flames and smoke visible throughout the day and evening. Firefighters will be monitoring the area until all piles are extinguished.

Prescribed fire plays an important role in forest health and in reducing extreme wildfires and their negative impact. These fires also help reduce heavy fuel loads while simultaneously opening the conifer forest structure and maintaining the health of meadow habitats. Fire is also used to enhance native plant communities and cultural landscapes and improve wildlife habitats. Another goal is to provide defensible space for communities and developed areas within and surrounding the ENF. With all fire comes smoke, and the U.S. Forest Service works to mitigate smoke impacts from prescribed fires on the communities in the area.

For more information regarding the ENF 2023 Projects please go to: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/caenf-2023-eldorado-national-forest-projects

#PrescribedBurn #PrescribedFire #ForestHealth #Tobaccoprescribedburn

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to conduct a prescribed fire treatment on Animas City Mountain within the Tres Rios Field Office managed lands between May 1 and 15 if conditions are right. 

The BLM is tracking weather and fuel conditions, along with firefighter availability, for conducting a controlled burn of up to five units of the Animas City Mountain project area in Durango, CO. BLM fire specialists estimate that the ignition of up to 494 acres of ponderosa pine and Gambel oak could take two to three days or more and require a brief closure of Animas City Mountain trailheads and access points to ensure public and firefighter safety. The BLM expects to use designated trails as containment lines. To protect nesting peregrine falcons, the two northernmost units would not be part of a spring burn.

Conducted under appropriate weather and vegetative conditions, prescribed fire mimics natural processes, improves forage for wildlife, increases plant diversity by creating breaks in the understory where grasses and flowers can thrive, and effectively reduces hazardous fuels while enhancing woodland health.

The projects are part of the BLM’s ongoing commitment to protect human health and safety while maintaining or enhancing forest and woodland health and functionality. To make this project a success, the BLM is in close coordination with federal, county, and local government partners, as well as non-governmental organizations, emergency managers, fire departments, public health officials, and state smoke regulators.

Current information on the Animas City Mountain prescribed fire treatment will be posted online at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cosjd-animas-city-mountain-prescribed-burn/. Follow the BLM Southwest Colorado Fire and Aviation Management Unit Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BLMMontroseFireUnit and Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWD_Fire for the latest information on wildland fire and prescribed burns in the BLM Southwest District.

See news release in News section.

News Release
Southwest District Office, Colorado

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2023
Contact: Deana Harms, Public Information Officer, 970-501-5665

BLM plans to conduct prescribed fires on West Dolores Rim and Animas City Mountain

DOLORES, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to conduct two prescribed fire treatments within the Tres Rios Field Office this spring. If conditions are right, the burns could occur between May 1 and 15. Fire crews would ignite up to twelve burn units using a combination of ground and aerial resources and patrol the burns until extinguished. The plan involves continuing treatment of up to seven units totaling about 1,254 acres in the West Dolores Rim project area east of Dove Creek in Dolores and San Miguel counties. The area is dominated by ponderosa pine and Gambel oak and locally referred to as the “East and North Pines.”

The BLM is also tracking weather and fuel conditions, along with firefighter availability, for conducting a controlled burn of up to five units of the Animas City Mountain project area in Durango, CO. BLM fire specialists estimate that the ignition of up to 494 acres of ponderosa pine and Gambel oak could take two to three days or more and require a brief closure of Animas City Mountain trailheads and access points to ensure public and firefighter safety. The BLM expects to use designated trails as containment lines. To protect nesting peregrine falcons, the two northernmost units would not be part of a spring burn.

“These planned burn projects are designed to improve ecosystem resiliency, enhance wildlife habitat, and reduce the potential for catastrophic fire on BLM-managed public lands in the Durango area,” said acting Tres Rios Field Manager Derek Padilla. “The BLM is working collaboratively with our partners to safely implement these important treatments. We ask for the community’s patience as we move forward to increase fire resiliency in southwest Colorado.”

Conducted under appropriate weather and vegetative conditions, prescribed fire mimics natural processes, improves forage for wildlife, increases plant diversity by creating breaks in the understory where grasses and flowers can thrive, and effectively reduces hazardous fuels while enhancing woodland health.

The projects are part of the BLM’s ongoing commitment to protect human health and safety while maintaining or enhancing forest and woodland health and functionality. To make this project a success, the BLM is in close coordination with federal, county, and local government partners, as well as non-governmental organizations, emergency managers, fire departments, public health officials, and state smoke regulators.

Current information on the Animas City Mountain prescribed fire treatment will be posted online at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cosjd-animas-city-mountain-prescribed-burn/. Follow the BLM Southwest Colorado Fire and Aviation Management Unit Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BLMMontroseFireUnit and Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWD_Fire for the latest information on wildland fire and prescribed burns in the BLM Southwest District.

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

News Release
Southwest District Office, Colorado

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2023
Contact: Deana Harms, Public Information Officer, 970-501-5665

BLM plans to conduct prescribed fires on West Dolores Rim and Animas City Mountain

DOLORES, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to conduct two prescribed fire treatments within the Tres Rios Field Office this spring. If conditions are right, the burns could occur between May 1 and 15. Fire crews would ignite up to twelve burn units using a combination of ground and aerial resources and patrol the burns until extinguished. The plan involves continuing treatment of up to seven units totaling about 1,254 acres in the West Dolores Rim project area east of Dove Creek in Dolores and San Miguel counties. The area is dominated by ponderosa pine and Gambel oak and locally referred to as the “East and North Pines.”

The BLM is also tracking weather and fuel conditions, along with firefighter availability, for conducting a controlled burn of up to five units of the Animas City Mountain project area in Durango, CO. BLM fire specialists estimate that the ignition of up to 494 acres of ponderosa pine and Gambel oak could take two to three days or more and require a brief closure of Animas City Mountain trailheads and access points to ensure public and firefighter safety. The BLM expects to use designated trails as containment lines. To protect nesting peregrine falcons, the two northernmost units would not be part of a spring burn.

“These planned burn projects are designed to improve ecosystem resiliency, enhance wildlife habitat, and reduce the potential for catastrophic fire on BLM-managed public lands in the Durango area,” said acting Tres Rios Field Manager Derek Padilla. “The BLM is working collaboratively with our partners to safely implement these important treatments. We ask for the community’s patience as we move forward to increase fire resiliency in southwest Colorado.”

Conducted under appropriate weather and vegetative conditions, prescribed fire mimics natural processes, improves forage for wildlife, increases plant diversity by creating breaks in the understory where grasses and flowers can thrive, and effectively reduces hazardous fuels while enhancing woodland health.

The projects are part of the BLM’s ongoing commitment to protect human health and safety while maintaining or enhancing forest and woodland health and functionality. To make this project a success, the BLM is in close coordination with federal, county, and local government partners, as well as non-governmental organizations, emergency managers, fire departments, public health officials, and state smoke regulators.

Current information on the Animas City Mountain prescribed fire treatment will be posted online at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/cosjd-animas-city-mountain-prescribed-burn/. Follow the BLM Southwest Colorado Fire and Aviation Management Unit Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BLMMontroseFireUnit and Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWD_Fire for the latest information on wildland fire and prescribed burns in the BLM Southwest District.

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Yesterday’s weather brought 1¼ inches of rain across the fire with the highest amount of rainfall in the center. The next few days will be dry and windy. Although recent rains have raised the water table, fine live and dead vegetation will quickly dry and may be susceptible for ignition so smoke may be visible in areas where it has not been seen for several days. Containment has increased to 49% and the Southern Area Type I Red Team is in transition to a smaller Type III Team, the Southern Area Grey Team. The Grey Team has arrived and will shadow the Red Team until they assume command of the fire tomorrow. The Red Teams appreciates the support you’ve given us and wishes a good assignment for the Grey Team.  

Great Lakes Fire: The Great Lakes Fire, located within Croatan National Forest, one mile South-Southeast of New Bern, started on April 19th. The fire is suspected to be human-caused and is still under investigation. It is burning in pocosin swamp and mixed fuels within and around the footprint of the 2012 Dad Fire, which burned roughly 21,331 acres. Previous prescribed burning by the U. S. Forest Service helped slow fire spread by reducing the amount of burnable vegetation. No structures have been lost and none are currently threatened.    

Acreage: 32,400 acres Containment: 49%  

Personnel and Equipment: 200 total personnel; 2 helicopters, 8 Type-6 engines, 5 Type-2 tractor plow units, 1 drone, 1 fixed wing aircraft, 1 grader, 2 excavators and 1 ambulance.  

Yesterday: With the use of drones, firefighters identified heat along Black Swamp Road in the western area of the fire. Firefighters mopped up these areas and graded Black Swamp Road for fire access. Road crews completed putting rock on Bender Road and continued to rock Mattocks Road. Drone pilots completed missions flying on the northeastern portion of the fire and used infrared technology to monitor heat on the spot fire. No heat was identified. Firefighters installed 29 sandbags to reinforce the water control structure on the southern edge of the fire.  

Today: Firefighters continue to patrol and monitor the fire. Road crews received 10 more loads of gravel to rock Mattocks Road. Firefighters continue to mop up along Black Swamp Road. They will continue to monitor and mop up throughout the fire as weather conditions become dry and windy. Road crews are moving a grader from Black Swamp Road to Great Lakes Road to help improve Great Lakes Road.  

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today’s weather is expected to bring clear and sunny skies with zero chance of rain. Windy and dry conditions are expected with strong gusts of southwesterly winds 25-30 mph. Temperatures will be in the high 60s and low 70s with relative humidity of 30-35%. Dry weather and windy conditions are expected through Wednesday.  

As surface fuels dry out, the potential for fine surface fuels to ignite and burn increases. Peat fires are difficult to put out and may burn for long periods of time. The southern portion of the fire will continue to smolder and burn.   

Air quality: Information on current air quality data for North Carolina is at https://www.airnow.gov/.   

Closures: Road closures on County Line Road and Catfish Lake Road remain in effect. Forest Service Road 203 is also closed due to fire operations. Updates to road closures surrounding the fire is at https://drivenc.gov/.  

Temporary Flight Restriction: Note: The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place over the fire area has changed in that the hours of the restriction are now between 6 AM to midnight. Information is at the Federal Aviation Administration website. A flight restriction is necessary to protect aerial firefighting operations. If there are intrusions into the Temporary Flight Restrictions, we must stop aerial operations.  

We have had many offers of donations to firefighters. We are grateful for your support, but currently do not have the capacity for processing and storing donations on site. In lieu of donations to the Great Lakes Fire please consider making a monetary donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

Great Lakes Fire Daily Update, April 30, 2023

Today’s weather is expected to bring several rounds of rain preventing any active fire behavior or growth. Additionally, containment increased to 45% with completion of indirect fireline along the northwest side of the fire. Because containment has increased, and the complexity of the incident has decreased, the Southern Area Type I Red Team will transition tomorrow to a smaller Type III Team, the Southern Area Grey Team. On Tuesday, the Grey Team will assume command of the fire. 

Great Lakes Fire: The Great Lakes Fire, located within Croatan National Forest, one mile South-Southeast of New Bern, started on April 19th. The fire is suspected to be human-caused and is still under investigation. It is burning in pocosin swamp and mixed fuels within and around the footprint of the 2012 Dad Fire, which burned roughly 21,331 acres. Previous prescribed burning by the U. S. Forest Service helped slow fire spread by reducing the amount of burnable vegetation. No structures have been lost and none are currently threatened. 

Acreage: 32,400 acres Containment: 45% 

Personnel and Equipment: 219 total personnel; 2 helicopters, 14 Type-6 engines, 13 Type-2 tractor plow units, 1 drone, 1 fixed wing aircraft, 1 grader and 2 ambulances. 

Yesterday: Firefighters continued to make progress containing the fire, building firelines and mopping up. Road crews rocked Bender Road and Mattocks Road on the western side of the fire to improve them for fire equipment. Firefighters repaired structures used to flood canals at the southern end of the fire to extinguish fire burning deep in organic soils. A structure protection specialist assessed four structures on Catfish Lake and a Boy Scout camp in the Catfish Lake Area.

Today: Firefighters continue to mop up many areas of the fire, including Black Swamp Road. Firefighters are starting a sandbag operation to reinforce the water control structure flooding organic soils in the southern end of the fire. Although we have seen consistent rain over the last few days, it is not enough to saturate the soil and put out the fire. This flooding operation is critical to raising the water table and putting out the fire. Road crews continue to use gravel to improve Mattocks Road and Bender Road. Firefighters will continue to identify additional suppression and repair needs using drones and infrared technology. 

A structure protection specialist continues to work with local emergency management organizations to access and assess local communities to develop a structure protection plan. This plan can be used by both the U.S. Forest Service, State and local agencies to keep communities safer and respond quicker to future emergencies such as wildfires and hurricanes. 

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today's weather is expected to bring an additional 1.5 inches of rain as several rounds of showers and thunderstorms pass throughout the day. Southwesterly winds this afternoon with strong gusts of 25 mph. Temperatures will be in the mid to high 70’s and relative humidity will be 60-65%. Drier weather and windy conditions will develop Monday through Wednesday. 

Ground fuels continue to burn through the fire perimeter, however, today’s weather will greatly diminish fire behavior.

Fire behavior Analyst, Greg Titus, said, “Today is a day of zeros, zero rate of spread, zero flame length, zero probability of ignition and zero fire growth.”

The area south of Great Lake is still an area of main concern. The fire will continue to smolder and burn in the ground until water penetrates deep enough. 

Air quality: Information on current air quality data for North Carolina is at https://www.airnow.gov/.  

Closures: Road closures on County Line Road and Catfish Lake Road remain in effect. Forest Service Road 203 is also closed due to fire operations. Updates to road closures surrounding the fire is at https://drivenc.gov/. 

Temporary Flight Restriction: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fire area; information is at Federal Aviation Administration website. This is necessary to protect aerial operations. If there are intrusions into the Temporary Flight Restrictions, we must stop aerial operations. 

We have had many offers of donations to firefighters. We are grateful for your support, but currently do not have the capacity for processing and storing donations on site. In lieu of donations to the Great Lakes Fire please consider making a monetary donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. 

Fire
The Great Lakes fire remains at 32,400 acres with containment up to 45%. Another round of rainfall forecast Sunday will kept fire activity suppressed. A longer period of drying beginning Monday may lead to some increase in fire activity. Due to deep organic material within the fire area, there remains the need for sustained efforts to ensure
active burning does not reoccur.

Smoke
With reduced fire activity, any minor smoke will remain confined to isolated smoldering, primarily along and within the fire perimeter in proximity to Croatan National Forest.

Roadway Visibility
The combination of areas of morning fog and some localized smoke can lead to sudden visibility reductions, particularly along HWY 17 from Maysville to the HWY 70 juncture, as well as minor roads adjacent to this area, including Island Creek RD, County Line RD, and Brices Creek RD.

Great Lakes Fire Daily Update, April 29, 2023

Yesterday afternoon, a line of thunderstorms impacted the fire area bringing an additional rainfall of 1.5 inches across the northern portions of the fire. The rain along with higher relative humidity and significant cloud cover, will inhibit fire spread and behavior. Containment increased to 40% with completion of indirect line along the northwest side of the fire. As containment increases, the need for personnel and equipment decreases. As a result, some personnel and equipment are being released from the incident. 

Great Lakes Fire: The Great Lakes Fire, located within Croatan National Forest, one mile South-Southeast of New Bern, started on April 19th. The fire is suspected to be human-caused and is still under investigation. It is burning in pocosin swamp and mixed fuels within and around the footprint of the 2012 Dad Fire, which burned roughly 21,331 acres. Previous prescribed burning by the U. S. Forest Service helped slow fire spread by reducing the amount of burnable vegetation. No structures have been lost and none are currently threatened. 

Acreage: 32,400 acres Containment: 40% 

Personnel and Equipment: 235 total personnel; 2 Helicopters, 14 Type-6 Engines, 17 Type-2 Tractor Plow Units, 1 drone, 1 Fixed Wing Aircraft, 1 grader and 2 Ambulances. 

Today: Firefighters will continue building contingency lines and mopping up in the northwestern portion of the Great Lakes Wildfire near the Island Creek Community. Road crews brought gravel in to improve Mattocks Road. Firefighters are concentrating on extinguishing ground fire and organic soils at the southern part of the fire. This includes mop up along Black Swamp Road and a flooding operation diverting water from Great Lake into canals to saturate organic soils. So far, the water table has risen at least 18 inches in that area and firefighters have observed water filling up ash pits where fire burned deep into the ground. Raising and sustaining the water table in the Croatan National Forest is crucial to putting out this fire. The southwest corner of the fire, including around Black Swamp Road, remains a high concern for firefighters. Firefighters will continue to identify additional suppression and repair needs throughout the fire and look for hot spots with the use of drones. 

Although communities are not currently threatened by the fire, a structure protection specialist is assessing local communities around the fire to develop a plan that can be used in the future if fire in this area becomes active again. He is assessing locations of fire hydrants, properties at risk, safe zones and response times to develop a plan.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Yesterday’s thunderstorm brought 1.5 inches of rain to the northern portion of the wildfire and ¼ - 1/3 inch throughout the rest of the fire. Today will be hotter and drier with westerly winds expected to become southwestern winds this afternoon with strong gusts of 20 mph. Temperatures will be low to mid 80’s and relative humidity will be 50-55%. Showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to continue late tonight with more rain on Sunday with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, some of which may be severe.

The combination of predicted weather and current moisture will minimize fire behavior and fire spread today. However, ground fuels continue to burn through the fire perimeter. As live and dead vegetation on the surface dries out, the potential for surface fuels to ignite and burn increases. The area south of Great Lake will continue to smolder and burn. 

Air quality: Information on current air quality data for North Carolina is at https://www.airnow.gov/.  

Closures: Road closures on County Line Road and Catfish Lake Road remain in effect. Updates to road closures surrounding the fire is at https://drivenc.gov/. 

Temporary Flight Restriction: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fire area; information is at Federal Aviation Administration website. This is necessary to protect aerial operations. If there are intrusions into the Temporary Flight Restrictions, we must stop aerial operations. 

We have had many offers of donations to firefighters. We are grateful for your support, but currently do not have the capacity for processing and storing donations on site. In lieu of donations to the Great Lakes Fire please consider making a monetary donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. 

Fire
The Great Lakes fire remains at 32,400 acres with containment up to 40%. Another round of rainfall kept fire activity suppressed, and this will continue through Sunday due to rain and storms in the forecast. Due to deep organic material within the fire area, there remains the need for sustained efforts to ensure active burning does not reoccur.

Smoke
With reduced fire activity, any minor smoke will remain confined to isolated smoldering, primarily along the northern and western portions of the fire perimeter in proximity to
Croatan National Forest.

Roadway Visibility
The combination of areas of morning fog and some localized smoke can lead to sudden visibility reductions, particularly along HWY 17 from Maysville to the HWY 70 juncture, as well as minor roads adjacent to this area, including Island Creek RD, County Line RD, and Brices Creek RD.